VAN NUYS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In what may be one of the first known iPhone 4 “video calling” medical consultations since the phone’s release, surgeons at Valley Presbyterian Hospital near Los Angeles and University of Arizona used the advanced technology to successfully collaborate long distance in “real time” on a wound consultation for a patient.
“Now, nearly everyone carries a phone in their pocket. It is this compact accessibility that will lead to the adoption of this technology for medical consultations.”
Using the FaceTime feature on the new iPhone 4, Dr. David G. Armstrong, Professor of Surgery at the University of Arizona’s Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance (SALSA), was able to instantly connect with Dr. Lee Rogers, Associate Director of Valley Presbyterian Hospital’s Amputation Prevention Center, near Los Angeles by video calling. What is essentially a simple phone call, turned into a long distance consultation and second opinion for a patient who recently underwent surgery.
“Video consultation over the Internet has been available for a few years, but its utility in the clinical setting has been limited by the necessity of having a transportable computer, camera, and appropriate software,” said Dr. Rogers. “Now, nearly everyone carries a phone in their pocket. It is this compact accessibility that will lead to the adoption of this technology for medical consultations.”
“While the University of Arizona has had one of the world’s top telehealth systems, the ability to communicate quickly with something that is an afterthought has the potential to alter how we work with our colleagues and patients,” said Dr. Armstrong.
“Just as with the iPod in music and the laptop in computing, it is not the change in technology, but the change in form factor and ubiquity that alters this landscape.”
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The use of iPhone 4 technology is just the most recent cutting-edge technology to help surgeons at Valley Presbyterian Hospital’s Amputation Prevention Center, which opened earlier this year.
About Amputation Prevention Center
Preserving a limb at risk for amputation requires an innovative, integrated approach. The Amputation Prevention Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital is among only a handful of facilities nationwide — and the only one in Southern California — that brings together the interdisciplinary expertise of vascular and podiatric surgeons, limb salvage and wound management specialists in one state-of-the-art setting. For more information visit www.valleypres.org/apc
About Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Founded in 1958, Valley Presbyterian Hospital, a non-profit and nonsectarian hospital, has remained focused on meeting the medical needs of the community for over 50 years. While VPH has grown to become one of the largest acute care hospitals in the San Fernando Valley, it continues to provide patient-centered care for a healthier community. The 350-bed facility offers leading-edge technology and a full range of medical services. With 500 physicians representing virtually every specialty and most sub-specialties, VPH provides the latest state-of-the-art treatments to improve and save lives. For more information visit www.valleypres.org.
